The Tesla Roadster Electric Coupe is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) sports car that was first unveiled in 2006, although in a very basic format. Way back then, reviewers took Tesla's claims that their Roadster Electric Coupe would achieve the speed ratings that were being bandied out with raised eyebrows. However when it came to the crunch when the vehicle was eventually launched, first in prototype format and late as a limited production model, their claims of tremendous speed levels have proven to be true, with the first Tesla Roadster Electric Coupe deliveries beginning in July 2009.

Expert Ratings

Performance

Currently 5.00/5

Reliability

Currently 4.71/5

Appearance

Currently 3.63/5

Comfort

Currently 5.00/5

Overall

Currently 4.59/5

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Since its launch, Tesla have sold more than two thousand of their Roadsters, in different formats around the World, making it the first all-electric vehicle in serial production available in the US.

The basic Tesla Roadster Electric Coupe sells for just less than $110,000 in the United States, although as it is electrically powered, people who put down that amount of money will be liable to receive some of it in the form incentives from the US Government for their efforts in preserving the environment.

With proven speeds of 0-60 mph in 3.70 seconds and the capability to cover a quarter of a mile t in 12.6 seconds, meaning a speed of 102.6 miles per hour (165.1 kilometers) makes the Tesla Roadster Electric Coupe the first electrically powered car to crack the EV legitimacy barrier.

Not to be compared with a typical hybrid Prius, the Tesla Roadster Electric Coupe is a completely different beast. To begin with, the 2011 Roadster 2.5 comes without an engine as its 288-horsepower electric motor is entirely powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. The Tesla Roadster Electric Coupe is a rear wheel; drive operated by way of a fixed-gear single-speed transmission from Borg-Warner. The Tesla Roadster Electric Coupe comes with a really attractive forged alloy wheels with Yokohama tires with 195/50R16 in the front and 225/45R17 for the rear, supported by three-setting shock absorbers.

Handling this small but heavy sports car is not hard work, although the Tesla Roadster Electric Coupe does not come with power steering. However reviews report that the Roadster's steering is very light and nobody is liable to miss it.

The Tesla Roadster Electric Coupe has already broken a few unique records, not just for its speed, but also for its energy efficiency as far as battery charge ratio is concerned. For example, the Roadster is the first production all-electrically powered vehicle in the World to travel more than 200 miles (320 km) on a single charge at an average speed of 25 mph (40 km). The nearest comparison that can be drawn in terms of energy consumption is around uses 135 Watts per kilometer, equivalent to uses 120 miles per gallon. Dependant on road conditions and acceleration level, power consumption has been shown to vary with 150 miles between charges being around par for the course.

When the batteries run out of power, charging times are expected to vary depending on a number of factors, taking around four hours in total, or fifty miles of motoring per hour of charge. Those who don't have the time to wait can either visit a QuickCharge center, and put their battery through a rapid charging process that will push in 80% of maximum power ( 160 miles) in less than an hour. Obviously this process will be more expensive than a trickle charge, but will still cost a lot less than swapping the battery, which the advantage that the procedure takes just a few minutes.